Kentucky lawmaker earns name for himself by voting ‘no’

In less than three months on Capitol Hill, the Kentucky congressman has voted no on the fiscal cliff deal, no on the rule for Republicans’ thwarted Plan B, voted no on the National Defense Authorization Act, voted no on all of the disaster relief for states affected by Hurricane Sandy and voted against John Boehner for speaker.

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And he’s not getting tired of it.

The 42-year-old Republican with a deep libertarian streak says he’s here to be a “consistent conservative voice.” And while that might mean more headaches for the Republican leadership, Massie says he’s just doing what his supporters want him to do. After all, he won his special election in November with the backing of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), tea party groups and the fiscally conservative Club for Growth.

Those who are cheering Massie on are more than happy with the results they’ve seen from him so far, and already a few of them are hoping that he’ll be the guy to primary Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014.

“The door is not closed on him running against Mitch McConnell in 2014, and he’s the only candidate that could beat him,” said Preston Bates, co-founder of the super PAC Liberty for All, a group that spent $700,000 in Massie’s House race. “He’s already building a legacy in the House with his votes against Boehner and NDAA.”

Club for Growth spokesman Barney Keller called Massie a “rock star for years to come.”

But a potential Senate run is something else Massie is saying no to, at least at the moment.

“Absolutely, positively not. Not in the cards. Mitch McConnell will be fine in the primary, and I look forward to doing the job that I have right now,” Massie said in an interview. “We get along. Occasionally, I introduce him at functions, and I’ve been to his fundraisers. Of course, I agree with Sen. Rand Paul on issues more than I do Mitch McConnell.”

But Massie, an MIT graduate who is rarely without a smile in the Capitol, doesn’t see himself as a rabble-rouser and gets along with pretty much everyone.

“I like Thomas a lot. He’s a very engaging guy and we have some very serious policy difference, but we have some things we’re working together on: legalization of hemp, he’s a supporter of alternative energies,” said Rep. John Yarmuth, the Kentucky delegation’s lone Democrat. “I don’t think Thomas is a real partisan Republican in the sense that he doesn’t have much allegiance to the party. You know when he’s taking a position he’s taking it honestly and thoughtfully.”

So thoughtfully in fact, Massie said he has the “opposite of attention deficit disorder.” He reads each piece of legislation, carefully weighing the pros and cons of each bill.

“I can focus on what seems to be the most boring things for days at a time,” Massie said.

Massie’s work as an engineer and inventor could help explain his obsessive attention to detail: He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from MIT in engineering.